Piper PA-28-140 accident near Cleburne, Texas, April 19, 1999
On April 19, 1999 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N32458, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleburne, Texas (Cleburne Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing and his improper recovery procedures from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1999 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cleburne, Texas · Cleburne Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N32458 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7525070
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot failed to maintain a proper rate of descent during final approach which resulted in a hard landing. A witness located at the approach end of the runway stated that the accident airplane came in 'hot and fast, hit the nose first and bounced up, nosed over and impacted the nose again' resulting in the nose landing gear separating. The pilot stated that his approach was 'perfect'; however, as the airplane got closer to the runway, its sink rate increased. The pilot stated that the airplane would not respond to his control inputs to try and stop the descent. Flight control continuity was confirmed by the FAA inspector subsequent to the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 141 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Split-S Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: T67 Quinlan TX at 10:30 pm
- Destination: F18 TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 5,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from NFW, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N32458 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.